The last apperntice: The night of the soul stealer

Chapter 2: Farewell To Chipenden

Alice was sitting on the stairs outside of my room, waitng for me. A candle beside her flickered shadows on the door.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 "Don't want to leave here, Tom," she said, coming to her feet. "Been happy here, I have. His winter house would be the next best thing. Old Gregory ain't being right with me!"                                                                                                                              

"I'm sorry, Alice. I agree, but he's mafe up his mind. There's nothing I can do."                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 I could see that she'd been crying, but I didn't know what else to stay. Suddenly she seized my left hand and squeezed it hard. "Why does he always have to be like that?" Alice asked. "Why does he hate woman and girls so much?"                        

"I think he's been hurt in the past," I said gently. I'd recently learned some things about my master, but so far I'd kept them to my self. "Look, I'm going to tell you something now, Alice, but you have to promise not to tell anybody else and never let the Spook know O told you!"   "I promise," she whispered, her eyes very wide.                                                                                                          

 "Well, do you remember when he almost put you in the pit when we came basck from priestown?" Alice nodded. My master dealted with malevolent witches by keeping them trapped alive in pits. He'd been about to put Alice in one a while ago, even though she hadn't really deserved it. "Do you remeber what I shouted?" I asked.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 "I couldn't hear properly, Tom. I was struggling and terrfied, but whatever you said did the trick beacause he changed his mind. I'll always be grateful to you for that."                                                                                                                                            

   "I just remined him that he hadn't put Meg in the pit, so he shouldn't do it to you!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

"Meg?" Alice asked. "Who's she? Never heard her mentioned before."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

  "Meg's a witch. I read all avout her in one of the Spook's diaries. As a young man he fell in love with her. I think she broke his heart. And What's more, she's still living somewhere up on Anglezarke."         Meg who?"